Whats to Enjoy about Nursing?

twotrees2 · Mar 16, 2007

I do it now strictly for the money. Sorry, but I can't fake that I do it because it means so much to make someone's day or to be told thank you (I can count the times that has happened in my six years of nursing on one hand, anyway). Other nurses will turn on you, patient's and family will turn on you, you can't possibly meet every expactation and demand of all the people all the time (not even close) and no matter how hard you try you end up getting it spit back in your face. Everyone is looking for a lawsuit these days and the stress of contantly looking over your back gets you down after awhile. And if you think you have an employer who cares about you and will protect you think again...they will hang you out to dry faster than you can say "but yesterday you were going on and on about how you appreciated me."I've gone from a good-natured gentle person eager to help people to a cynical, bitter old woman who thinks things she never would have thought when she started in the business. Nurse Rachaud? You better believe it. Nurses who have been in the business awhile can understand what could make her the way she was... I'd rather go collect cans or wash dishes but who can live on that? I'm working my way out of this hell hole called nursing, though. I've taken steps to get my master's degree (definitely not in nursing) and maybe do some counseling and teach at a community college.

must admit thats uch how i felt prior to working with dementia residents - though they can be agressive or even abusive lol - but when they are sweet and cute its real - very real and comforting to know they love us. just how i feel .

ben123 · Mar 16, 2007

1. Pay- where else can you get this kind of money with an AA degree

2. Overtime- as much as you want

3. Ratios are awesome in Cali 5-1

4. This is a job wehre you can go as high as you want. If u want to be a doctor of nursing its out there

5. Variety- If u only wnt to work with kids, pregnant women, psych patients, if you don't want to have any patients the variety is vast

6. Move any time any where you will always have a job

7. shifts- Hey do you know people who would rather work 3 days a week than 5 (Come on now I know people who work 2 days a week sat and sun 16 hours a day and get paid for 40 and get all benefits)

8. Benefits, time off, insurance, holidays etc...

9. IN demand, will always be in demand especially since baby boomers are reaching retirement age.

10. Working with some great people. patients and other staff:lol2:

twotrees2 · Mar 16, 2007

Hey- for all of you who have responded to the OP with moans of frustration at the hardships of nursing ... why? There are plenty of other threads to be frustrated in. And I'm going to go look for some of them after this, because I just had "one of those days". But she wanted to hear from people what there is to love about nursing. Why it is that, despite it all, we still get up in the mornings for it. Can't we focus on that?
Personally, I love being the one to fill in the void of questions that suddenly opens when a child becomes critically ill. I love being the one a family can turn to and entrust their child to. I love when little babies use their Ballard to teethe on. All day long. So much so that I have to change it at the end of my shift. I love when kids draw me pictures, and I love the relief in a mother's face when she says "I'm so glad you're his nurse today." I love watching a kid progress from being a full-out mess, on CVVH and pressors to talking and joking and walking out the door. I love the challenge of a fresh trauma, the not knowing and the critical thinking. I love starting IVs in teddy bears. I love recovering scolis and hearing the hilarious things they say thanks to demerol PCAs. I love it when a kid starts out my shift crying when I walk into the room and ends it crying when I leave. I love that I carry finger puppets right next to my hemostats. And I love, love LOVE how tired I am at the end of the day. Because I feel like I've accomplished something.
(Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find somewhere to vent about the idiot trauma doc who wouldn't clear my kid's c-spine :chuckle)

i find the thanks from family great too - some because they cant deal with waching mom or grndpa having dementia so they dont come much but if they do they will quickly leave relieved when i am there cause they now they can trust mme to care for them well and they can break free from the stress- the ones who do come and do deal with it say thier thanks over and over saying they couldnt deal without me as sounding board - others will call and not come knowing i am there cause they have no worries they say when i am there- and others wish i was there all the time - ( lol well maybe if i cloned me ) yeah some good points t ponder and a good feeling tgo focus on the positive for a change. am really missing my people now that i officially changed jobs - even have a few found my number and have called m begging to come back and one lonely old man showing up at my doortep lol.

twotrees2 · Mar 16, 2007

[EVIL]Cooper can say that because she's only been an RN for less than a year. You just wait!. [/EVIL] THAT WAS DOWNRIGHT MEAN! :lol_hitti
To the OP: Remember, as in all forums, people will more often come to board to vent than to tell what is right. When all is well, we forget about complaints and problems. All in all, I doubt many of us would have forged through the rigors of nursing school and boards if we didn't TRULY want to be nurses, for more than the money.
To the people working for "years" and who think it is totally not worth it, Im sorry. My two cents: I took the view that this career gives me the opportunity to work in whichever area I was drawn to. When in my first THREE months, I KNEW graveyard shifts on med surg was not for me, I applied elsewhere in the hospital. People were shocked that as a new nurse I was granted a transfer to an evening position on another unit. I wasn't. I truly wanted to work there. I heard it was the best floor to work on because it was the most supportive and had a mix of patients I was attracted to. I believe my attitude got me through the interview and though I had to stay in med surg for three more months, I am now working on my favored unit and I LOVE IT. In my humble opinion, I will love it in 12 years
If, after being cross trained to peds and mother baby units I find I am not happy or cut out for this area, which so far I highly doubt, I will move on to another area. I floated to observation unit a lot and I wouldn't mind trying that either.
OP, This is what I love:redpinkhe about nursing, the patients are for the most part thankful and wonderful to get to know. :smiletea: They each have unique stories and I rarely find ones I cannot get along with. I am a people person and I feel that is what makes me a good nurse. I try to fit in with them, not make them like me. I get lots of kudos, but even if I didn't, I go home knowing I did my best most days and I am satisfied.
If I ever feel this second career, which by the way I started in my mid forties, is not working out, I WILL move on. I learned a long time ago, Stuck is a rut in your mind, not a reality.
If nursing is your passion, you will be fine. You will also have days when you vent, and this is a better place for venting than it is for happiness. LOL :smilecoffeecup:

having been forced from my last job ( the co. decidd no more per diem workers only those who would work at THEIR schedule and weekends) my new job will be in agency - and they feel i am great candidiate for prison nursing ( pending my background check as apparently they dig deeper then local - told em if im wanted let me know so i can get a head start hhehe - really kidding - im sure its fine just the wait sucks) - any GOOD things on agency or prison nursing would be great cause as with any change i am nervous and i am truly missing wat i had with my dementia residents and families so add sad onto nervous-

hope someone has good stories on these 2 aspects of nursing.....

BULLYDAWGRN, RN · Mar 16, 2007

Because when I leave they pull me back in!

shanyone · Mar 16, 2007

All i can tell you is to try to get real-world research on what you're getting into. Nursing school isn't like the real nursing world at all. It will have you fooled. It is imperative that you find out exactly what your job will be before you dive in. Don't wait until you have put your time and money into 4 years (or 2 years) of education and decide that you are miserable.
There are negatives to every job. I think that's what some people forget. For me, I am working in a wonderful company, making decent money, working decent hours with flexibility. I can't stand what I do though. I love most of the people I work with, but I rarely get to see them because I'm stuck in a cubicle all day toiling away on meaningless tasks.
So, I've gone out and chosen to finally go to school to get a career in the medical field. I've longed to do this since high school. I never did it because circumstances prevented it, but now I have the support I need (my wonderful husband) and I'm very excited to be working full-time and going to nursing school. Do I like nursing school? No, not most of the time. I love the science I am learning and I love the idea that when I'm done I'll be able to work in a very challenging career with many choices available to me.
It's hard to get a REAL feel for any job while you're going to school to supposedly learn how to do that job. My human resources/business degree has little to do with the job it was intended to prepare me for. School is but a set of hurdles you must jump to learn some of the basics for the job you hope to get.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that many people are miserable in their jobs. Is nursing for me? Who knows. I believe it is right now. But I don't think there's a way to get real world experience as an RN until you are one. Also, we need to remember that no one is holding a gun to our heads and forcing us to stay in any profession. Why not leave if you really hate it. I am leaving my business job because I really dislike it. I am 31. Nothing in life is unattainable. If I dislike nursing 10 years from now then I'll find something new. Learn, grow, be happy!
Shanyone

RavenC · Mar 16, 2007

having been forced from my last job ( the co. decidd no more per diem workers only those who would work at THEIR schedule and weekends) my new job will be in agency - and they feel i am great candidiate for prison nursing ( pending my background check as apparently they dig deeper then local - told em if im wanted let me know so i can get a head start hhehe - really kidding - im sure its fine just the wait sucks) - any GOOD things on agency or prison nursing would be great cause as with any change i am nervous and i am truly missing wat i had with my dementia residents and families so add sad onto nervous-
hope someone has good stories on these 2 aspects of nursing.....

I never did prison nursing but the two nurses that I know who did it, said they LOVED it. The guards took good care of them too and they never felt afraid. One of the nurses said they were told not to learn why the prisoners were there, because once you know what they did, you really hate to care for them, thinking they deserve to suffer, 'after what they did', to someone. I did agency for years in PA and swore I'd never go back to a facility. The only reason I did was because I moved to Arizona and there are a lot of places that flatly refuse to use them, so work can sometimes be scarce. The attitude toward them out here is much more negative. But with agency you don't have to go back if you hate it, you don't have to deal with the politics and you make more money. I may yet go back to agency to fill in the money gaps while learning to make my way in real estate, but I've also found that PRN can be nice. For you, even if you do a lot of prison nursing, you can tell the agency to give you a couple shifts in a dementia setting. I always said dementia was my favorite, but then I had some patients that I could talk to and found that interacting with them on that level was also wonderful. I think agency gives you the best of both worlds. And remember, you work when you want to so don't be afraid to plan that vacation or enjoy a holiday.

Interesting about your last job...relates to the level of respect we get. At the end of February I went to work and wasn't on the schedule...that day or for the next month...a new person was in my place. No one knew anything. Finally the DON came in and promised to explain but was busy at the moment. I stayed and worked cause another nurse went home, but never got any explanation. I'm using my savings and part-time job to support me while I get my real estate license. The scheduler called one day and wanted me to work and I said, "Do I even work there anymore?" She found out this...the DON just wanted the new person to have hours to get used to the job and "never meant to offend me". I still have my full time job. I told her sorry I'm not available till the end of March. I have no intention of giving up on real estate even tho I know I'll need nursing to supplement my income. A LOT to be said for agency!! Good luck...bet you enjoy the change.

zumerdah · Mar 16, 2007

in bahrain the most thing that make the other un happy with nursing job is : the stress of work , the bad pt who r not respect the staff , and the shifts ( time of job ) espacialy for women who r married ...

the pay r not problem becz here in bahrain the salary good..

to me sometimes i worried from become a nurse becz of what i heared from the other nurses about nursing ..

but the challenge , the loving to help the people are making me to love the nursing..

nursemary9, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2007

I'm a student and have been reading up on some of these forums and many, many nurses would leave their jobs if they didn't need the money. Everyone continually talks about how stressful their jobs are based on scheduling, continuing education, pay scales, nurse/patient ratio...etc. I was wondering..why do nurses even bother with work? Why don't they switch professions into something less demanding and as good of pay? What makes you get up in the morning (or evening or night!) to go to work?

After 40 yrs of doing this, Why do i do this??

Because I love working with my med-surg patients!!Sure there's stress & I B.... with the best, but bottom line, I love what I do!!

Diahni · Mar 16, 2007

in bahrain the most thing that make the other un happy with nursing job is : the stress of work , the bad pt who r not respect the staff , and the shifts ( time of job ) espacialy for women who r married ...
the pay r not problem becz here in bahrain the salary good..
to me sometimes i worried from become a nurse becz of what i heared from the other nurses about nursing ..
but the challenge , the loving to help the people are making me to love the nursing..

hi zumurdah,

can i get a job in your country?

diahni

NSG92 · Mar 16, 2007

after being a nurse for 15 yrs i have to be honest and say i don't like the pt care setting at all anymore. in the last 10 yrs things have changed so much that its all about the money and insurance companies run the show. the patient is no longer the first concern of the facility. nurses are forced to work short and give substandard care due to this overload.

Djuna · Mar 16, 2007

I am an RN from New Zealand currently working in Australia. My partner and I are hoping to move to the US sometime this year or next but after reading many of the posts in here I have huge trepidations.

I work in a rural hospital in New South Wales, a small hospital where we see approximately 60 patients a day through the Emergency Department. Sometimes it's absolute havoc and busy but the support we receive from each other and our wonderful Charge Nurse makes up for the times when we barely sit down for a cup of coffee.

I earn $30/hr with an extra 50% on Saturday and 75% on Sundays plus shift allowances for afternoons and nights so my take home pay averages out pretty nicely. We are encouraged to do further training and we are always given study days when needed.

Some of the doctors can get snappy but in general they know they have to treat nurses nicely because otherwise we don't do anything for them which makes their job more difficult, as well as the fact abuse is simply not tolerated by management.

I have been nursing for 14 years now both here in Australia and in New Zealand and if I don't like the culture of a ward or unit, I just leave. There's always another place to work.

Nursing can be boring, it can be ridiculously busy and exhausting, it can be frustrating dealing with people all the time, but it has variety, career options, decent pay and you always get a laugh somewhere in your day.

I enjoy nursing and when I feel burnt out and need a break, I change specialty and it feels all new all over again.